WEBVTT MAGGIE: WELCOME BACK.THE LEFT LANE LAW WENT INTOEFFECT NOVEMBER 1, 2017.TROOPERS HAVE BEEN GIVING OUTWARNINGS.NOW THE OKLAHOMA HIGHWAY PATROLSAYS YOU CAN EXPECT A TICKET IFYOU ARE IN THE LEFT LANE TOOLONG.WE ARE JOINED BY TROOPERS DWIGHTDURANT.YOU HAVE WRITTEN SOME TICKETS, ANUMBER OF WARNINGS.>> MIDDLE OF LAST WEEK, SINCENOVEMBER 1, WE HAVE WRITTEN 50CITATIONS, APPROXIMATELY 243WARNINGS.MAGGIE: SO A LOT OF WARNINGS.YOU ARE TRYING TO GET THE WORDOUT ABOUT WHAT THIS LEFT LANELAW IS.STATED FOR THE RECORD.>> YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HANGOUT OR ORDER IN THE LEFT LANE.BEFORE THE LAW WENT INTO EFFECT,YOU COULD TRAVEL IN THAT LANE,BUT IN A VEHICLE CAME UP BEHINDYOU, YOU HAD TO GET OVER TO THERIGHT.NOW UNLESS YOU ARE PASSING ORHAVE A LEGITIMATE REASON FORBEING IN THE LEFT LANE, YOU ARENOT ALLOWED TO TRAVEL THERE.MAGGIE: WHAT WAS THE REASON, WHYDID OUR GOVERNMENT FEEL THE NEEDTO HAVE THIS IN PLACE?>> EVERYTHING GOES BACK TOPUBLIC SAFETY.WHAT WAS RECOGNIZED AS WE WEREHAVING SOME ROAD RAGE INCIDENTSWHERE PEOPLE WERE GETTINGSTACKED UP BEHIND SOME EYES,OTHER VEHICLES.YOU WOULD SEE IT ON THETURNPIKE.TWO SEMI'S SIDE BY SIDE, A DOZENCARS BEHIND THEM, ALL GETTINGIMPATIENT.WE RESPOND TO THE ROAD RAGEINCIDENTS THAT OCCUR.THE LAW WENT INTO EFFECTNOVEMBER 1.MAGGIE: DO YOU FEEL IT IS HELDWITH ROAD RAGE?WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM THETROOPERS?>> I THINK IT IS TOO EARLY TOMEASURE.I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WILL BEABLE TO MEASURE HOW MANYINCIDENTS DID NOT OCCUR BECAUSEOF THAT.I DO KNOW THAT PEOPLE RECOGNIZETHE LAW AND ARE GETTING INTO THERIGHT LANE.RECENTLY, I SPOKE TO A CAPTAINON ONE OF THE TURNPIKES.HE SAYS THEY HAVE NOTICED ASIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE.IT TAKES A WHILE TO EDUCATE ANENTIRE POPULACE.YOU TALK ABOUT IT ON THE NEWS,IT IS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.WE CAN WRITE TICKETS ANDWARNINGS, BUT IT WILL TAKE TIMEFOR PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT THIS ISTHE LAW.MAGGIE: WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLEFEEL SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THISTOPIC?YOU TALK TO PEOPLE, WHEN THEPOSTINGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, PEOPLEFEEL STRONGLY ABOUT THIS EITHERWAY.>> I THINK MAYBE THE BIG ISSUEIS, THIS IS A LAW THAT PEOPLEARE AFFECTED BY.PEOPLE DON'T LIKE TO BEINTERRUPTED, THEY DON'T LIKEOTHERS IN THEIR WAY.THIS LAW MAY BE EMPOWERS THOSEPEOPLE.EVERYBODY IS FRUSTRATED BYPEOPLE IN THE LEFT LANE DRIVINGSLOW.PEOPLE THINK THAT THIS WILL --THIS PUTS US ON THEIR SIDE, TOGET PEOPLE OUT OF THAT LANE.MAGGIE: THIS LAW HAS BEEN AROUNDFOR A WHILE.IS IT MORE OF THE ENFORCEMENT ORTWEAKING NOVEMBER 1?>> BEFORE, THE LAW SAID YOUCOULD NOT IMPEDE THE LEFT LANE.THAT HAS BEEN ON THE BOOKS FOR AWHILE.THEY WENT IN AND CHANGED A FEWSENTENCES.NOT ALLOWED TO IMPEDE IN THELEFT LANE TO NOT ALLOWED TOTRAVEL IN THE LEFT LANE.MAGGIE: 2018, THERE ARE NOINSTRUCTIONS GIVEN T THETROOPERS, SO IT IS STILL UP TOTHEM.>> NO ORDERS GIVEN TO THETROOPERS REQUIRING THEM TO WRITEA TICKET FOR ANY OF THESE LAWS.THEY HAVE THEIR OWN DISCRETION.MAGGIE: HOW MUCH IS THE TICKET?>> ROUGHLY $235.

OHP issuing tickets to drivers who violate left lane law

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Updated: 3:06 PM CST Jan 2, 2018

The left lane law went into effect Nov. 1 of 2017. Troopers have been giving out warnings, and now officials said the Oklahoma Highway Patrol says in 2018, expect a ticket if you are hanging out too long in the left lane. (The law has been in effect in Arkansas for years.)